The Dangers of Misunderstanding
by Me Llamo Berry
Summary: Phineas and Ferb finally talk it out. Sequel to "The Dangers of Silence" Some parts are credited to Wingsfly's "The Dangers of Maturity"


Phineas was sitting on his bed, staring at his brother. Their parents had decided that it would be in their best interests to have the two share a room again.

Ferb scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. Neither brother knew what to say. They had only been released from the hostpital a few hours ago, after all.

"Please talk it out..." Candace begged them from the doorway. "I hate seeing you hurt..." Both boys nodded, but they couldn't meet her eyes. She lingered at the door, watching them sadly. After a moment, she left them alone.

The silence stretched out. Phineas and Ferb stared at each other.

Phineas took off his shirt and stared down at his stitches. He felt ashamed. He hurt everybody in his family by his actions... but it felt so... He shook his head.

Ferb took off his own shirt. He sighed as he traced the stitches he had received. It was his fault that Phineas was injured. His fault he almost couldn't save him. It was his fault that they weren't allowed to have a door anymore... it was his fault. Phineas had stitches because of him. Ferb took a deep breath as he buried his head in his hands.

"...Ferb?" Phineas asked, startling both the boys. "Can you... Can you explain... it all to me?" he paused, "Please?"

The other boy looked up slowly and nodded. Ferb stood up and walked slowly over to Phineas. He sat down next to his brother and sighed. He didn't know where to begin. Where was the beginning? Was it when he started cutting? When Bully starting leaving notes? Was it...?

Ferb finally looked his brother in the eyes. "Where do you want me to start?" he queried, not knowing what his brother wanted.

Phineas shrugged and thought for a moment. "Well... maybe the beginning of freshman year...?" He paused, "Wow, it's not even December yet..."

Ferb nodded, and sighed. "Well... Remember how we had to write that letter that first day? I... I lost mine... It read: To whoever reads, I suppose that my deepest feelings are those of adventure. But things seem different than before. I can't just make a bunch of machines in my backyard like I used to. I don't think Phineas would even want to any more. Maybe it's just me… People so often ask me why I stay quiet. One reason is because I feel that words are useless. Words can tell lies, but the expression on a person's face can't. Another reason, is because I'm afraid what people would say. If I say something stupid, then what will they think? Words can make people hate you, or look down upon you. Words can make other people's opinions of you change, or make their first impression of you be that you're just a dipstick. I'm afraid… I'm afraid that people will think of me that way. So I just stay quiet. -Ferb,'" he quoted and paused to at Phineas's expression.

The other teen was staring in what could be a comical jaw-on-the-floor expression. "You... you really think that?" he asked quietly.

Ferb nodded in shame, staring at the floor. "The worst part is... someone found it. You read through those notes, didn't you?" At the nod from Phineas, Ferb continued quietly, "At first, I responded. And it felt like he was my friend... just because he told me. Told me that my worst fears were true, and I believed him. One day he suggested I use a knife to cut myself, but I used the glass instead. It... it felt good, and after I did it once, I could not wait to do it again. I never wanted to be around you and the other because I always thought you were trying to find more things to spread rumors about so that you could ridicule me."

Now that he had started talking, Ferb just couldn't seem to stop. "I wanted to die. I know it's irrational now that I look back, but then, it was the only thing that made sense. I was in a deep funk of a depression, and nothing could bring me out. All the support you showed me seemed false in light of what Bully wrote. I wrote that song because I just didn't know how to express myself anymore. There seemed to be no use in building things. Then for my birthday... I didn't want to see everyone faking nice to me when they were really only there for you. I didn't want to make a fool of myself out in the middled of all that.

"For Halloween, I was a goth rock star. Depressed, what-not. I wanted to show you all what had happened. All because I thought you hated me. I was just going with how I felt. And I thought that you just... well... you acted awkward, not proud or supportive, and well, I took that to mean that you hated me... So I refused to come out of my room unless necessary to keep you from my presence. Then Buford revealed himself as Bully... and... I just couldn't take it anymore. I wasn't feeling anything. That night you confronted me, and I found another note from him. And this time, I gave in and..." Ferb trailed off.

Neither boy spoke for a moment, both over come with emotion. Phineas was shaking with sobs, and Ferb was lost in the memories. After a moment, Ferb spoke again.

"Even though I thought you hated me... I still loved you as my brother. I wanted you to live a happy and long life, even though I couldn't... And now, I find out that you love me too, and so does pretty much everyone else in Danville." Ferb shook his head. "I've been so confused... I've lived the last few months believing that you hate me, only to find out that you don't and that everything Bully has told me is false. I can't wrap my mind around it... I just can't..."

The depressed teen was shaking violently now. "And it's my fault that you almost died. It's my fault we were in the hospital... It's my fault we're here right now without a door so that Mom and Dad can check on us more easily. It's all my fault... If I didn't exist..." Ferb broke down crying, crying harder than he had in a long time. Phineas reached over and hugged him.

"It's not all your fault. It's just been a huge misunderstanding and too many people have been hurt with it," Phineas told him through his own tears.

Ferb nodded. For the next few minutes, they took comfort from each other as they cried for everything that had happened and everyone who had been hurt. At one point they looked up and saw their parents watching them, both with red eyes.

Reluctantly, they pulled away. "Oh, hi Perry," Phineas said hoarsely as he picked up the monotreme. The platypus made his chattering sound as Phineas handed him to Ferb. Both boys felt better with the comfort of their favorite pet.

Phineas looked up at his brother. "Ferb... why don't we talk about... er, our feelings?" he suggested awkwardly, "That way we can understand what the other is going through... and the sooner we figure that out, the sooner we can help our parents relax."

Ferb nodded and the two launched into a quiet discussion, during which a lot of things happened. Perry was petted by both boys, both talked animatedly with their hands, pictures were drawn, urges for pain were overcome, revenge thoughts were thrown around jokingly, and both boys became more at ease the more and more the two discussed everything.

Finally both boys smiled, the first smile from either of them in several days.

Ferb sighed. "We just need to convince our parents and everyone else that we've recovered."

Phineas shrugged, and then a grin he had not used for a few years spread across his face as he declared, "Ferb, I know what we're going to do today!" Ferb leaned forward eagerly and the other teen took notice that Ferb was engaging like he used to for the first time in a long time. He smiled happily and explained to Ferb what they were going to do.

However, before they could plan everything out, their parents appeared at the door. "Phineas, Ferb, Candace is out on a date with Jeremy and we are going to go hang out with our buddies at the bowling alley. Don't do anything... stupid while we are gone. We aren't planning on having a Thanksgiving dinner."

Both boys nodded, and their parents took the upset silence to mean that they still need to talk. The two left, wishing they could help their no longer little boys.

When the car left, both boys sprang up and grinned at each other. "This might be the best Thanksgiving ever!" Phineas exclaimed as both boys raced downstairs, Perry following as he chattered happily.

The boys started in the kitchen. They looked up recipes and various food items as they started preparing dinner. With dinner cooking, they set up a table outside and decorated the backyard.

Then the two made invitations and had Perry go deliver them to the correct houses, a wagon attached to his back. Perry rolled his eyes quietly and walked off like a normal platypus, feeling quite amused that he was being used as a mail-platypus. He went to all the appropriate houses and let them take the invitation before returning to the house, where all the food had been moved out side and the house was completely clean.

Both boys collapsed in their room when they were done, snickering at the surprise that would come. They heard the door slam, signaling the return of their sister. Each adopted a look of sadness and pretended to be thinking when she peeked into the room. She sighed and left them alone as their parents came home.

"Candace!" Mom called, "Do you know why Isabella, Baljeet, Jeremy, and their families are here?"

The girl frowned and raced downstairs, telling her parents, "No," as she went.

Phineas and Ferb let out quiet chuckles as they changed and dressed Perry in a costume. They then snuck downstairs while everybody else was trying to figure out why someone had invited them to a Thanksgiving dinner that clearly wasn't even going to happen.

After triple checking on the food and making some last minute adjustments, they ran a bell and hid behind the tree, leaving Perry by the food. It sounded like a stampede as everyone raced to see what the sound was. The boys covered their mouths as they heard gasps.

"Oh, Perry, you look like a sweet pilgrim," their mom cooed. There was a pause, then, "I wonder how this happened. Candace, would you go get the boys so that they can eat?"

"Of course, Mom!" Candace answered.

"I'll go with you," Jeremy told her and both went to the house. Several minutes passed, during which everyone found their seats.

"MOM! PHINEAS AND FERB AREN'T IN THEIR ROOM!" They heard Candace freaking out and everyone's shocked murmurs as Candace and Jeremy came back out.

The boys looked at each other and nodded shortly to each other. This was their cue.

They stepped out from behind the tree, Ferb wearing Indian garb and Phineas the Pilgrim. Both casually walked forward, innocent looks on their faces as they waited for someone to notice.

Isabella was the first and she raced over and tackled Phineas in a hug. Ferb laughed at the expression on his brother's face. It felt... nice... to laugh, he found.

"What?" Suddenly, everyone noticed and stared at their outfits.

Ferb sat down to eat and piled a few things on his plate. "What? It is a day of giving after all," he informed them.

It wasn't long before the atmosphere relaxed and everyone was having a good time.

Linda and Lawrence were very proud of their boys for doing something so nice.

After everyone finished eating, Isabella turned to Phineas and Ferb. "So... are you two better now?"

Ferb and Phineas glanced at each other before Ferb decided to answer.

"We are better, but it will take a long time for us to get back to normal."


End file.
